The Lion of Rome
by lady Calendaria
Summary: A curse has settled over Rome. Can Heracles and Sadik put aside their differences to end the curse? Can Lovino find redemption in the arms of a mysterious Spaniard? or will this ancient evil swallow them all? Spamano and Gurkey pairings, loosely based off of grendel/beowulf. references to other myths and legends are prevelant
1. Chapter 1

There was once a kingdom that had risen to be greater than any before it.

The king, Romulus, was well loved by his people and his queen possessed beauty that would make the gods green with envy.

Their love for one another was legendary and was surpassed only by the love they had for their sons, twin princes whom they showered with affection.

As a gift, Romulus had a great hall built to honor his sons on their sixteenth birthday. A place where wine flowed unending and warm laughter filled every corner before spilling out into the cold nights.

For a year, the hall was a place of comfort for everyone in the kingdom and they celebrated their wealth and the peace that abounded.

However, on the darkest night of the year, while the hall was lit and laughter, like a warm spiced aroma, drifted into the surrounding woods and found its way to the ear of a beast, waking it.

The beast had slept since the beginning of time, before music and laughter had ever sounded, before land had been touched by light; and now it had been roused from its slumber.

With a mighty roar that echoed through the night, the beast stretched its sinewy limbs and followed the noise that wafted from the hall.

So swift and silent was the movement of the beast that the people of the hall were caught by surprise when it tore down the great doors and snapped up the nearest drunken reveler.

There was a moment of shock...

Then everything erupted into chaos as everyone started to flee the hall.

In the confusion, the king grabbed his youngest son and pushed him from the hall to escape through the servants' passages before scanning the hall once more to see his wife with their eldest son.

The beast was closing in on them and his eldest, Lovino, had a sword gripped in his hand ready to fight the monster; though the sword trembled in his grasp and his stance was weak. The beast smelled his fear and lunged... Into the arms of Romulus's beautiful wife who had pushed Lovino back and come between her son and the beast in order to give him time to retreat.

With a cry of rage and grief at seeing this, Romulus charged with a torch, the closest weapon he could grab; and ground it into the monsters hide. There was the smell of charred flesh mixed with the heavy scent of mud as the beast gave a scream of pain and retreated into the night, leaving the mauled body of the queen where she lay.

The king ran to her, cradling her head as tears freely ran down his face. He shook his head, wondering how this could have happened, that he lost the love of his life.

His gold eyes found the red-rimmed eyes of his eldest, who stared in shock at the scene; sword fallen from numb fingers.

"No..."

It was barely a whisper.

Romulus's eyes went as cold as his grieving, shattered heart. He lifted a finger, covered in the queen's blood, and jabbed in Lovino's direction.

"This is your fault."

Those wide eyes filled with tears, understanding washing over the eldest prince as he saw his father, glaring at him over the corpse of his mother who had sacrificed herself for him because he couldn't be brave and face such a beast.

Because he had been a coward.

The king rose, carrying his wife tenderly with him as he left.

Lovino sank to his knees, guilt washing over him and sobs wracking his body, surrounded by the broken bodies of dead revelers and the blood of his own mother.

"It's my fault..."

Three years passed and even though the hall had been locked up since the first attack, the beast persisted.

He attacked towns bordering the forests and travelling merchants would go missing. Fear spread faster than any plague and the once prosperous kingdom fell into hard times.

No other kingdom would risk its citizens to trade with it over land. The only trade they got was from the seas but that wasn't nearly enough to sustain them.

Every so often, parties of men who had heard about the beast would try to hunt it, but none were successful.

Their terrified cries would ring out as the hunters turned into the hunted and any hope the kingdom had of their curse being lifted was extinguished.

During this time, rumor also spread of great men who could conquer giants and swim oceans.

They were champions to their people and brought hope in these troubled times where dark entities from the beginning of time seemed to rear their heads from the shadows at every turn.

Word of this beast traveled to these heroes and the decision was made to travel to those dark woods to rid it forever of its curse.


	2. Chapter 2

Fog lay thick over the coast as the first ship docked in the harbor and its passengers came ashore, laughing and joking.

They were led by a tall man with deeply tanned skin and a white mask obscuring most of his face; his brightly colored robes boasted of untold riches he had already claimed and the curved sword at his side gleamed in the pale morning light as he led his party toward the castle.

They were stopped at the gate by two anxious-looking guards who denied them passage on the grounds that they had not announced their arrival before then.

"You'll have to wait until the king has approved a meeting with you."

"It's hardly polite to keep guests who want to help out in the cold." The masked man gestured to the dreary and dirty streets around them as he spoke, seeming nonchalant and even mildly amused but the guards tensed, even more alert than before.

"After all" he continued "I am the great and fabulous Sa-"

"Sadik?" a voice interrupted. "As if someone like you needs an introduction. You must be losing your touch if you're having trouble charming your way past these two."

Everyone turned to see the owner of the voice leaning against the gate; tousled brown hair framed piercing, sea green eyes that were perpetually half-lidded and gave the appearance their owner had just woken up. He wore civilian clothes and his sandals were covered in dust, suggesting he'd been walking in the more run-down parts of the kingdom.

"Of course" he continued "perhaps they heard about how you charmed your way into the palace of the ottoman king and killed him before taking up his throne. Corrupt king or not, it would make any royal guard nervous."

"Well now~ Hercules! Is that really you? It really has been a while, brat!" Sadik grinned while the other man hissed in displeasure.

"My name is Heracles! And I'm not a child anymore old man so quit calling me a brat."

"Sure thing, Hera~ hey! Isn't Hera a girls name?" the Turk grinned wider, enjoying the obvious annoyance expressed by the younger man.

Heracles groaned, reigning in his anger.

"I was going to let you guys in but I think I'll make you wait out here for a few more hours."

The guards stood aside to let him through the gate and as it closed, he could hear Sadik pleading with him.

"Come on kitten, don't be like that! I'm sorry~ I was just teasing, won't happen again, I promise!"

He let the gate thud behind him with a sense of finality then stood for a good ten minutes before sighing and having the gate opened again.

"I'll take responsibility for this group. Go ahead and let them through."

The guards nodded in understanding and stood aside once more to permit entrance to Sadik and his small band.

The Turk was all smiles once again and swaggered over to Heracles, draping his arm over the shoulders of the Greek, who promptly shrugged him off.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. It's been two and a half years since word got out about this... Problem..." Heracles talked quietly, analyzing the man beside him.

Sadik shrugged "I've been busy, these monsters aren't going to conquer themselves and there's the added responsibility of running an empire. How long have you been here?"

"I arrived a week after the first attack three years ago. My mother sent me to discuss trade with Romulus but he wasn't receiving anyone. The death of his wife hit him hard." He shook his head sadly "just hasn't been the same since. He no longer has much interest in the kingdom, he disowned his heir, and he drinks his weight in wine every night."

"Shit, things are worse than I thought." Sadik looked up at the once-great palace and sighed, glancing sideways at the Greek beside him "So, if you've been here so long why haven't you taken care of the problem?"

Heracles shot him an annoyed look.

"I've been studying it and tutoring the king's sons. I've tracked it into the woods but only to a certain point, after that it disappears without a trace. Also, weapons don't seem to hurt it, it has a weakness to fire, and it hates light and the sound of laughter." He counted off the things he knew on his fingers as he said them, looking in the direction of the forest, though the trees couldn't be seen from behind the smooth stone walls.

"So, even the master tracker of Greece can't find this monsters lair? You can reach the Nemean lion, the hydra, the Stymphalian birds, giant crabs..." Sadik trailed off. "But you can't find this one."

"You think you can do better?" Heracles challenged.

"I know I can."

Challenge accepted.

By the time they reached the throne room they were in a heated argument over who could kill the beast first. Their argument was interrupted by Romulus clearing his throat and Heracles automatically stood down and turned to face the throne. His back straightened as he saluted Romulus.

"My lord, May I present Sadik; hero of the east and ruler of the Ottoman Empire. He has come to help rid this land of its curse."

Romulus regarded the newcomer thoughtfully.

"Sadik, I have heard tales of your deeds in the east. Tell me, how do you plan to rid my lands of this monster?"

The Turk bowed respectfully.

"your highness, I understand that during his time here, Heracles has studied this beast. I will take his knowledge and with it, end this curse. I have brought with me the greatest warriors the east has to offer, we will not fail."

He spoke with such confidence that even Heracles, though annoyed, felt a twinge of hope that this lands nightmare might finally end.


	3. Chapter 3

Lovino lounged on a stone bench in the courtyard, a copper gladius propped next to him against the bench with its point in the sand.

Even with his eyes closed he could tell it was midafternoon by the heat of the sun beating down on him.

He sat up and looked around for what must have been the hundredth time. There was no one around except, wait. There!

Heracles was jogging over to him; his normally impassive face looked troubled.

"You're late" Lovino announced, standing to greet him.

"I know; I was... Held up."

"Well you're here now, so let's get started."

He didn't think much of the Greeks lateness or the troubled expression. Time was a relative thing to the man and chances are he was held up by a cat and he was just sad to have to leave it.

Heracles took a gladius from a nearby weapons rack and stood in the middle of the sandy training courtyard, taking a fighting stance. Lovino took that as his sign to begin and jogged forward, grasping the ivory handle of his sword.

Copper flashed in the sun as they danced around one another, searching for weaknesses. There was a thrust and it was parried away as they danced forward and back.

Lovino quickly found himself having the upper hand, the Greeks movements were a fraction slower, his stance less guarded, his eyes wandering away from the fight.

"Look, are we going to fight or are you going to daydream? Because you can't do both." the Italian lowered his sword, scowling.

"I'm sorry" Heracles lowered his sword as well "I have a lot on my mind. You probably haven't heard yet but we got a visitor this morning."

Lovino could guess.

"Another bastard who wants to go against our curse?"

"Yeah, but he's already done some incredible things and he isn't planning on just blindly marching into the forest like all the others did."

"What is his plan then?"

Not that Lovino wanted to know, it was probably just as dumb as all the plans the others had come up with before they went off to die. He was already bored of this topic, having had this discussion a million times before.

"He's going to reopen the great hall to lure the beast here."

"What?"

Lovino couldn't believe his ears; he felt numb and sick. His voice sounded lost and hollow even to him.

Heracles could see the color drain from his friends face and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Lovi, I know it hurts you to think about that place but this may be our best chance to catch this monster and avenge your mother. We can trap it there and kill it, we know its weaknesses."

Lovino felt fear and anger bubble up inside him

"And what if that plan fails! Will it be worth more of our people getting slaughtered? I don't care if that man is a hero elsewhere; he has no right to use the place where my mother died as a ruse to attract that monster here!"

He slapped Hera's hand away, eyes bright with unshed tears. He would not cry though, would not be weak.

"I'm done here." He threw his gladius down in the white sand and stalked off, not allowing his tears to fall until he was safely in his chambers.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hey there! I apologize profusely for my absence. living in a big-rig has kept me very busy and the moments that I've had the opportunity to write.. I won't lie to you, I spent them playing Skyrim, Might and Magic 7-9, and assassins creed 2. thanks for staying with me anyway, leave a review if you like what you read. more reviews=faster updates. without further ado, here is the fourth chapter!

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It wasn't until much later that Lovino emerged from his room, hungry and drained. His hair was mussed, although he had half-heartedly attempted to groom it back in place.

He heard music coming from somewhere nearby and followed it through the castle corridors until he found himself standing before the smooth marble steps to the great hall.

Golden light spilled out into the gathering dusk and the smell of roasted meat and wine was thick around him, but Lovino felt sick with dread.

All this was too familiar, too much like that night. He dragged his unwilling feet up the steps, into the hall.

Everyone seemed so happy in there; it was as if there had never been any attack. Lovino was greeted by many cheery revelers, happily drunk off good food and too much wine; but he saw only cold corpses, staring with cloudy eyes.

A servant passed by bearing a tray of wine filled goblets; Lovino snatched a goblet and downed its contents quickly, trying not to think of how the red of the wine was the same shade as blood.

An hour after Lovino had entered, Heracles noticed him lurching around the hall. The prince was red faced and glassy-eyed, hinting that he'd had a few drinks too many.

Heracles parted from the conversation about cats he was having with a small, dark haired man with no small amount of sorrow and went toward his friend.

Before he could get to him however, a man with sun kissed skin and eyes the color of mint strolled over and liberated a freshly filled wine glass from Lovino's grasp.

"Hey bastard! That's mine!" Lovino snarled, reaching to get his glass back.

The tanned man gave a laugh and held the glass out of Lovino's reach.

"I believe you've had quite enough wine, this is your sixth glass." his voice was amused with a warm Spanish accent.

"Look creep, I don't know who you think you are, counting how many fucking glasses I've had but give it back this instant or I'll have your arm lopped off for thievery!"

His voice was loud, perhaps louder than he intended for it attracted the attention of everyone in the immediate vicinity.

Some men came out of the crowd to stand by the Spanish man, clearly not liking what Lovino had to say, but Lovino hardly noticed.

"Don't you know who I am?! I'm the son of Romulus, king of the greatest empire the world has ever seen! Greater than the ottoman empire even!"

Heracles saw this commotion was drawing too much attention and tried to pull Lovino away from the confrontation.

"Come away Lovino, you're drunk; Leave Antonio alone."

Lovino shrugged off the hand.

"Antonio, huh? And what's your family name, asshole?" The prince sneered.

"My name is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo; I am a sailor for the king of Spain." The Spaniard did not seem to take offense to Lovino's attitude, though the men around him openly showed their dislike.

"The same Antonio that shipwrecks more often than not?!" Lovino laughed derisively, his words slurring. "The same one who only the stupidest of men would sail with because on more than one occasion your whole crew was either killed by a wreck or eaten by some monster?! You must be the worst captain of all time with the sword skills of a turtle."

The men bristled as Lovino said this and surged forward to defend the Spaniards honor but were stopped at a signal from the man.

He smiled calmly, though his eyes betrayed regret and only the tiniest hint of anger. He spoke so the whole hall, which had quieted to hear the exchange, could hear him.

"Si, it is true that I have met much misfortune upon the seas though it is no fault of mine or anyone I have sailed with. Five of the seven times I have sailed I have been cast ashore and nearly killed; whether by cyclops, roc, or cannibals. I mourn the friends I have lost in those voyages though we all knew the risks. I only wish they'd had the same luck as me and we had returned home safe. I would ask you not to insult their memory."

Lovino spat at the Spaniards feet. He didn't know why; perhaps it was the wine clouding his judgement; but he wanted desperately to hate this man.

This man who had interrupted his thoughts of self-loathing and had the audacity to take away his drink. Him and his stupid smile and those oddly mesmerizing green eyes. If he looked close enough he could see flecks of brown and gold in their depths.

He shook his head.

"You will ask nothing of me." his voice lacked the conviction he'd intended to speak with. He didn't really feel it either. Instead he felt lightheaded and the room was beginning to spin in a way that made him feel he was standing on the wall instead of the floor.

The murmurs of the onlookers became a dull buzz as the wine overtook him. He was hardly aware that he was suddenly falling.

Heracles rushed forward to catch his prince but stopped short as Antonio caught him first.

"Forgive the rudeness of the prince, this hall gives him bad memories and he tends to lash out when he's upset. Please don't think badly of him, he wouldn't have said those things were he thinking straight."

Antonio held up his hand to stop the Greeks apologies and hefted Lovino so his head rested on the Spaniards shoulder.

"I understand. Would you lead me to his chambers so I can see him to his bed safely?"

Heracles opened his mouth to protest but stopped short, the determination in the other man's eyes showing that he would not be deterred.

"Very well."

Antonio carried Lovino from the hall, smiling softly as he felt the princes' warm breath carry softly over the skin of his neck and felt the rhythm of his heart against his chest.

Despite the princes' cruel words to him, he couldn't hate the boy. The prince had held such torment in his eyes that must've only touched on the pain he felt.

While some might see Lovino's actions as selfish and cruel, Antonio couldn't help but wonder if they were instead a cry for help.

With Heras help he tucked the prince into bed and sat in a cushioned chair nearby, waving the Greek on when he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I'd feel bad leaving him alone so inebriated. Go on back to the party and I'll see that no harm comes to him."

Heracles nodded and made his way back to the great hall, grateful that the prince was no longer a part of the party. The night would end in bloodshed and he'd give anything to keep Lovino from experiencing a night like that ever again.

He found Sadik deep in discussion with the same man he had talked with earlier about the finer points of being a cat owner; touching the Turks arm, he nodded toward the tall doors that stood open to reveal the glittering night sky.

"It's time."

**A/N: **Me again! sorry about the cliffhanger, we get to meet the beast and have a wonderful fight scene in the next chapter! thanks for reading! (gonna go pass out now)


	5. Chapter 5

Heracles and Sadik stood in the middle of the great hall surrounded by none but Sadik's band of twenty men and a small regiment of the king's guard, the other guests having been cleared out long ago.

They faced the great doors of the hall which stood slightly ajar to caress them with a cool breeze that sent a shiver down their spine.

The torches had all been extinguished and the fire in the great hearth burned low, casting long shadows around them.

"So kitten, what's the plan now?" Sadik queried nonchalantly.

Heracles shot him a look of annoyance but let it pass.

"Now we wait. Some of us should stick our swords in the coals of the fire and others have torches ready to light. Once the beast is in here then we will set fire to the entrance to trap him and build up the fire in the hearth. The light should blind him temporarily."

He paused.

"We probably won't all survive this... I'm not even sure this monster can be killed, so..."

"So we want to thank everyone who stands with us tonight for your bravery and sacrifice to rid this nation of the monster plaguing it." Sadik took over the speech, his confidant voice echoing around the chamber.

"Now do as Heracles said, get some swords in the coals, only the ones whose handles won't be affected by the heat. You there, all of you get some torches ready and find your places until the beast comes. I need at least two of you near the doors to start the fire!"

The men scrambled to obey their orders, knowing time was growing short. Soon they were all in position, their heartbeats pounding frantically in anticipation of the fight to come.

The moon rose higher in the sky as they waited and they began to wonder if the beast would come, many began to nod off as sleep swept over them. Heracles and Sadik stayed vigilant though, eyes locked on the great doors that framed the moon's beginning descent.

In the hours before dawn, a great shape loped toward the hall. It had heard the singing and laughter, smelled the roasting meat and flowing wine and it overwhelmed the beasts senses, sending it into such a rage that it had leapt from its lair and raced to the hall.

The hall was dark now but the soft breath of many men could be heard still inside. Without a thought, the beast charged in, ripping into the first warm body it came across and letting out a great roar.

The noise startled any sleeping men into wakefulness and the men by the door hurriedly lit their torches and set the pitch in front of the doors on fire, blocking escape for the beast. Other men grabbed their swords from the hearth and advanced on the beast with their smoldering blades glowing cherry red.

The light of the sudden flames blinded the monster and it turned its head away, giving everyone a better view of what they faced.

"It's a lion..." breathed Heracles. "It's even bigger than the Nemean lion and black as pitch. I never knew such a beast existed."

"You can be in awe of it later, kitten. Right now we need to kill it before it kills us" Sadik broke the Greek out of his awe-inspired trance, though Heracles was more hesitant to raise his blade than he had been before and did not advance on the monstrous lion.

Taking advantage of the opening the lion gave, Sadik charged forward with his own curved scimitar raised, other men joining in the charge and stabbing at the great cat.

The lion yowled in pain as a few of the hot swords found their mark and sank into it.

It jerked way, its movements tearing the swords from the grips of their holders as they had become stuck fast inside it.

The lion circled the hall, amber eyes glinting in the firelight as it chose its next victim. With a twitch of its tail and only the slightest tensing of the powerful muscles it leapt and was upon them, snapping up an unarmed man and throwing him aside as it simultaneously batted another man with its great dark paw, sending him to be impaled by a broken piece of furniture.

Sadik did the best he could to keep up with the onslaught of the lion but found his sword strokes useless and the numbers around him were dwindling.

"Heracles! Instead of just standing there, come help me fight this!" he tried hard to keep the desperation out of his voice as those amber eyes caught his own hazel ones and held.

The lion growled deep in its throat as it advanced on him, forcing him back several feet.

Seeing Sadik in trouble, Heracles finally made up his mind and charged; however he threw his sword aside and leapt onto the lion's back, wrapping his arms around its neck and calling upon his unnatural strength to crush its throat.

"Get away from it!" he cried as it thrashed, trying to throw him. He narrowly missed its grasping claws as it tried to drag him off.

The lion continued to thrash and claw for several more minutes before slowly collapsing and laying still. Another tense minute passed before Heracles relaxed his grip on the lion and slid off its back.

"Is it dead?" Sadik asked as he ran over

"I think so" Hera replied, his back to the monstrous cat. "I've never seen anything like it, not even the Nemean lion can compare. Do you think there might be others?"

He trailed off as he noticed Sadik's eyes shift to look past him and saw them widen in horror

"Heracles, get down!" Sadik cried as he suddenly barreled into the startled Greek.

Heracles was thrown to the ground hard as Sadik took a heavy clawed forepaw to the chest and was hurled across the room where he hit the marbled wall and crumpled to the ground and lay unmoving.

"Sadik!" Hera screamed, trembling with rage and fear.

He faced the lion once more. It moved sluggishly now, its breath rasping past its damaged throat and blood oozing from its numerous wounds and coating the swords protruding from its side and flanks.

"How dare you..." whispered Heracles, repeating the sentence again louder.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he repeated a third time, screaming it at the large feline as he scooped up his sword from the coals of a fallen brazier and charged.

He landed a hit on the beast's neck, managing to slice a major vein with his heated sword and gritted his teeth in grim satisfaction as blood bubbled and oozed over his blade.

Realizing it was overmatched against this raging human, the lion turned to flee, leaping through the wall of flames that had trapped it at the beginning of the fight.

"No!" Heracles roared, summoning his god-like strength once again to grab the lions back leg before it could pass through the flames.

The fire licked and scorched the lion's leg as it screamed in pain and thrashed, unable to reach through the flames to reach his tormentor.

The enraged Greek hacked at the captured limb and twisted it, splintering bone and sending blood spraying.

After several tense minutes, the leg came free and the lion sprang away from the fire and ran as fast as it could on its remaining three legs, leaving a trail of blood behind it. No one followed the retreating beast though, too caught up in the carnage that covered the hall.

There was a moment of absolute silence as the shocked survivors surveyed their surroundings and came to terms with what had happened. There was no cheering, no celebration. Too many had been lost in this fight.

Heracles dropped his sword and the severed leg as he single mindedly made his way to Sadik's side. The Turk couldn't be dead, it was impossible.

Bright red stains were blossoming across Sadik's chest, soaking his shirt; and his signature mask was laying several feet away with a large crack down the middle.

Numb with shock and grief, heedless of his own numerous wounds and anything else happening around him, Heracles began to rip away the Turks tattered shirt and press the already soaked cloth against the gashes in his chest in an effort to stem the bleeding.

"Don't you dare fucking leave me!"

Moments passed and the blood kept flowing from the jagged wounds, making the Greek only more desperate to make it stop.

There were suddenly hands pulling Heracles away from the fallen Turk as others descended to lift the limp body and carry it away.

"No! Bring him back!" cried the Greek, a sob escaping his lips as he struggled futilely against the hands restraining him, unable to muster the will to fight them.

"Bring him back..." Hera's voice broke and his vision blurred as tears overwhelmed him and he went limp, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably with each sob.

There was activity happening all around him now. The wounded, dead, and dying being carried from the hall by some while others put out the flaming pitch. When he looked around he saw none of that though, his minds eye showed him only his friends ashen face and he felt under his hands the torn and bloodied chest that barely rose.

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A/N sorry for taking so long getting this out. I had some trouble figuring out how this fight would end and it finally came to me. anyway, I now have a better idea of where I want this story to go and will be trying to post more frequently. writing and editing stories on a moving truck sucks.


	6. Chapter 6

Lovino awoke in the late morning with a pounding headache and an odd feeling that someone had been watching him. He rubbed his head tenderly and looked to the side of his bed; he saw a chair that he didn't remember being there before.

"Strange..." he mumbled to himself before slowly easing out of bed. His stomach gurgled in hungry protest, though the prince didn't think he was ready to ingest anything just yet.

After dressing, Lovino made his way to the kitchen to ask for a light breakfast and some watered wine. While waiting, he overheard some servants gossiping.

"No, it was a great black lion. I saw its leg myself; they've strung it up outside the great hall to keep any other beasts away."

"Really? I can't believe they were able to kill such a monster!"

"I know! It wasn't without some sacrifices though. We lost quite a few good soldiers and that masked man that arrived not too long ago was grievously wounded in the process. The healers are still working hard to save him and that Heracles hasn't left his side."

Lovino felt giddy and wondered if maybe he was still asleep and dreaming. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! To think, the kingdom was finally free of the curse…

"Your highness, your breakfast is ready."

His thoughts were interrupted by a servant and he thanked the woman politely before picking up his breakfast plate and taking it outside. He had the urge to sit in the sun.

"Fratellooooooo!" Feliciano ran headlong into his brother and hugged him tightly before holding him at arm's length, a grin spread wide across his face.

"Feli, what have I told you about hugging me too tight" Lovi complained. He didn't really care but he wished his little brother thought about his actions a bit more before carrying through. He had just barely saved his breakfast from flying away.

"Sorry, I just saw you and got sooo excited!" his grin turned into a small pout. "Ludwig has been working me so hard these past few days and I've barely been able to break for food or siestas!"

Lovino couldn't help his grimace as they both sat on the bench Lovino had selected. It was no secret around the palace he didn't like the tall, blonde, Germanic man who was his brothers tutor.

"You can always ask father for a new tutor who treats you better" he suggested.

Feliciano only shook his head "It's tiring but I know he's only pushing so hard because he cares and wants me to be strong. I still think he needs to learn to relax a bit though, those Germanic types don't seem to know what relaxing truly is."

Lovino shook his head, unsure what to say.

"Anyway, Father is going to give a speech today! He looks better than he has in such a long time." Feliciano rocked forward on the bench, looking wistfully in the direction of the throne room. "I just want us all to be happy again... Do you think-"

"Things aren't ever going to be like they were Feli, just because the monster is gone doesn't mean that mom is going to come back…" Lovino interrupted him.

Feli sighed "I know; I just miss it... And her..."

"I know, me too."

Lovino finished his breakfast and called a servant to take away his plate and goblet before allowing Feliciano to lead him to the courtyard where a crowd had gathered.

The king stood on a raised platform with his advisors standing behind him, the nobles standing to the side of him, and the kingdoms commoners before him.

Lovino noticed that his father wasn't drunk and looked less haggard, like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"My people!" Romulus announced, his voice booming to encompass all in attendance. "Last night, many brave heroes gave their lives to free all of us from the scourge that has plagued us these last three years. I am pleased to announce the death of the beast and the end of this vile curse."

Cheers rose from all around the congregation and Romulus waved for silence once more.

"It is with a happy heart that I announce a feast to celebrate our new freedom and honor those heroes who were lost. Many who faced the beast and lived were injured so the feast will be held once they are able to attend."

The cheers rose up once again and Romulus turned away to go back into the palace. As he turned he caught Lovino's eye and held it for a split second.

Lovino saw a flash of bitterness in those eyes, replaced by a deep sadness that then gave way to regret. Then Romulus was gone and Lovino didn't know what to make of what he had seen.

"Feliciano!" a stern voice broke his thoughts as a blonde man marched over, his sharp blue eyes piercing under brows constantly furrowed. It's time to get back to your lessons.

"Ve, but Luddy I wanted to spend today with my fratello!" Feliciano clung to Lovino's arm and whined.

"Nein, there is too much for you to do, come on." he levelled his piercing glare on the younger prince who pouted and separated from his twin, walking over to his instructor dejectedly before the Germanic man shifted his gaze to Lovino and bowed politely. "A pleasure to see you, highness."

"Get lost" Lovino dismissed him coldly, making his displeasure at the man's presence obvious.

"Lovi, that's rude!" Feliciano protested.

"Whatever..." he turned away, eyes on his feet as he made his way back to the practice court him and Heracles usually used. The Greek wouldn't be there today so he supposed his lessons would be postponed.

He looked up when he heard laughter and the ring of metal on metal. He saw two graceful forms dancing across the white sand of the court, swords arcing in an intricate dance like nothing he'd seen before.

Lovino stood outside the circle and watched.

The laughing man had tanned skin and sparkling green eyes; the Spaniard from the other night, Antonio was his name.

Lovino groaned softly in embarrassment, remembering his less than cordial behavior the night before to the man who, he was sure, had only had good intentions.

The other man had wavy blonde hair tied back with a blue ribbon and day-old beard stubbled his chin. His blue eyes shone with mischief as he met Antonio's sword stroke for stroke.

His thin rapier blade flashed as he circled and stabbed at any opening he could find.

Antonio caught Lovino's eye as he turned to meet the thrusts and held up a hand to stop their stunning swordplay.

"Good afternoon, your highness." the Spaniard saluted him with his sword "I trust you slept alright?"

Color rose to Lovi's cheeks as he nodded "yes, I did. I apologize for my behavior last night, I..."

Antonio raised his hand and shook his head to stall Lovino's apology "no need to apologize; it was explained to me afterwards how difficult last night was for you. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Oh, okay." Lovino didn't really know what to make of this man. He was too polite and forgiving, even after all the horrible things that had been said. Lovino didn't deserve to be forgiven though, the Spaniard should still be angry with him. He felt himself growing angry himself as guilt at his many faults and failings assaulted him.

"Ah, is this the elder prince you've told me so much about, Tonio?" Lovino was distracted from his thoughts of self-loathing as the blonde man stepped forward and offered Lovino a bow, smiling and throwing him a wink as he straightened. "My name is Francis; I arrived this morning to help with the defeat of your infamous lion"

Francis feigned a distressed look, throwing his head back with the back of his wrist pressed to his forehead. "Alas, I arrived too late and all the glory went to my dear friends Heracles and Sadik. Though, I hear Sadik was hurt pretty badly in the fight."

Lovino noted that Francis spoke excellent Latin with the unmistakable Celtic lilt of the Gauls.

"You know Heracles?" Lovino was surprised

"But of course! We've been friends since we were very young. I met Sadik a few years after I met Hera, took me a little longer to warm up to him, but now he is a very good friend."

"Have you visited Sadik's room yet, or are you waiting for them to finish fixing him up?" Lovino questioned.

"I'm waiting until they fix him up, I'll just be in the way if I go now." Francis sighed and shrugged "I'm useless around injured people."

"I heard Heracles is with him, I'm sure he would appreciate a friendly face" Antonio piped in. "besides, you look like you could use a break from our duel"

Toni grinned cheekily, catching the blonde man's eye and drawing it to the prince and back up.

The Gaul got the message and grinned "I suppose you're right, I haven't seen Heracles in such a long time and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't offer him support in his time of need! Just remember, this duel isn't finished." with that he sheathed his rapier and flounced off to find Heracles; leaving Antonio and Lovino, who was a bit confused over the Gaul's abrupt departure, alone.

"So what brings you to this part of the palace? I thought you would be inside studying with a tutor or doing some other royal task." Toni sat on a nearby bench, the same one that Lovi had been sitting on just the other day while waiting for Heracles to join him. It struck the Italian how fast things can change.

"Heracles is my tutor; we usually train here around this time but I guess my lessons are postponed for now" he shrugged. "It's not like my lessons are especially important though"

"Of course they are." The Spaniard defended.

"How? I'm not the heir. At most I might get lucky and be appointed advisor to my brother, I might even get some control over the army; but it's more likely I won't hold any official position and will just be forgotten to rot away out of view for the rest of my life once he's crowned." Lovino sighed, thoughts of the future hanging over his head like leaden thunderclouds.

"Nothing is written in stone yet, Lovino. I know, how about I take over your tutoring until Heracles comes back?"

Lovino eyed the man suspiciously, those enticing green eyes dancing as they awaited his answer.

"Very well, we'll see if your swordsmanship is any better than your sailing skills."

Antonio grinned widely at the light jab, aware it wasn't meant as a direct insult. "As you wish~" He walked aback to the circle of glittering white sand with Lovino and took position, seeing Lovino holding his slightly shorter gladius at the ready.

They took a moment to size each other up, Lovino's lithe frame and quick feet contrasting to Antonio's taller stature and lean muscles that could easily overpower the prince. Lovino took a tentative step forward and the duel was on!

He was pleasantly warm and the most content he'd ever felt.

Sitting by a window that overlooked his entire kingdom, Sadik sipped his strong coffee from an ornate cup and sighed happily. This right here is what he had always wanted; this feeling of fulfilment and that all his hard work hadn't been in vain.

He set his cup down and looked to the great double doors behind him. They were open a crack and he could hear voices coming from the other side.

Standing, he felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him. He was… Afraid?

Shaking his head, Sadik made his way to the doors and took hold of them, about to shut them so he didn't hear the voices anymore. He paused though.

Was that Heracles he heard? The voice was sad.

But Heracles was never sad; at least, he never showed his feelings openly and always hid behind a mask of disinterest and mild irritability.

"Sadik…"

Heras voice drifted through the door, beckoning him.

Sadik tried to see into the gloom on the other side of the door but the inky blackness was complete and coldness enveloped his body as he took a step past the doors.

He looked back at the table by the window. How warm and sunny it was. But it was lonely; he could feel that now too. If he went back he knew he would no longer feel satisfied.

He took several more tentative steps and heard Heras voice again talking excitedly. He paused, his chest beginning to ache fiercely and he found it hard to breathe.

Sadik soon became aware that he was lying down. It was soft so he assumed it was a bed, and the blankets were draped over his legs but left his bare torso exposed to the cool wind wafting through the window.

He opened his eyes and saw it was nighttime and a candle burned low on the bedside table. Heracles sat by the bed, the scroll he had been reading had been hurriedly set down and he had the oddest expression on his face.

"What's with the face, kitten? You look like someone ate the last of your baklava" he coughed painfully and groaned, his throat dry and his chest aching all the more.

"Ugh, I feel like I got run over by a chariot and left for dead in the desert. What happened?"

Heracles swallowed the building lump in his throat and averted his gaze from the Turk.

"Well, you were being stupid and let yourself get caught by the lion. It ripped your chest up and threw you into a wall. You're lucky you're still alive." his voice was matter-of-fact but he could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes and stood up hastily, turning to look out the window.

"Damn... How long have I been out?"

"Two days. The physicians had one hell of a job sewing you up and getting you rehydrated. You're probably still anemic though so take it easy."

Hera composed his face into his customary look of disinterest before turning back to Sadik and handing him a cup of water.

Sadik took the water gratefully and saw, on closer inspection, the dark circles under Hera's eyes, unmistakably puffy from tears and lack of sleep. He knew better than to question the proud Greek about them right now though; Hera would never admit to them. He idly thought that perhaps he could tease the Greek about it later though.

"So, what happened to the lion?"

"Who knows, it ran off and hasn't returned since that night. It was severely wounded though so my guess is that it's dead. Also, King Romulus has planned for another celebration as soon as you're recovered enough to attend."

"It might be a while then" Sadik laughed dryly, regretting his actions an instant later when a cough sent waves of pain shooting through his chest. "Fuck… I hate this. Remind me next time to let whatever monsters we're facing eat you."

"I'll tell Francis you said that." The Greek retorted.

"Francis is here?"

"Yeah, he arrived two days ago. He originally came to help us with the lion but he got here too late. He's come to visit you a few times since he's been here."

"Ah, that's too bad; we could have used him in the fight. Better late than never I guess."

"I can go get him if you want. He'll be glad to see you conscious." The Greek offered.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll wander in sooner or later" Sadik lifted his hand to wave away the suggestion. "I'm fine just having you here right now"

Heracles wondered what Sadik meant by that. Did the Turk actually want him around or was he saying that he was still too weak to handle too many people around him.

Shrugging, he went to the door to call a servant and ordered food for both him and Sadik before sitting back down and picking up his scroll that had rolled on the floor.

The Turk had started dozing off again but Heracles was no longer worried about him not waking up. He was going to survive and that's all that mattered to the exhausted Greek. He only made it a few lines into his scroll before he too was asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, I'm not sure that I've clarified this yet but I suppose I probably should now.**

**Heracles is modeled after THE Heracles from Greek mythology, Sadik is Modeled after Ali Baba from 'One Thousand and One Nights', and Antonio is modeled after Sinbad from the same book. Romano isn't really modeled after any hero. he's mainly based off of the salty brother from the sci-fi movie 'Grendel'**

**Also, Francis is referred to as a Gaul because at this time in history France doesn't exist yet. during this time, Gauls spoke a mixture of Celtic and Latin, which kind of sucks because I was looking forward to using scattered french phrases. (I may have modeled Francis after Bellerophron. I think he would do great with a Pegasus)**

**to The-Autumn-Goddess: I gave Feliciano some screen time, I hope you liked it**


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